Folding mechanism for printing presses



April 2, 1940.

. Filed Jan. 4; 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q-IIHHHHIIlllllllllllllllllll INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 2, 1940. J, E, MEYER 2,195,822

FOLDING IECHANISM FOR PRINTINGv PRESSES Filed Jan. 4, 1939- 'r Sheets-Sheei 2 |NVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 2,1940. J, M E 2,195,822

FOLDING IIECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Jan. 4, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet a v INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 2, 1940. J. E. MEYER FOLDING IECHANISM FOR PRINTING ,PRESSES llllllllllllIIIHIIHI'HEHIO Filed'Jan. 4, 1939 INVENTOR X??? 5 fl w ATTORNEYS I April 1940- J. EQMEYER 2,195,822

FOLDING IECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSIS Filed Jan. 4, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 lNENTOR YK 7 ATTORNEYS April 2, 1940. J. E. MEYER FOLDING IECHANISM FOR PRINTING IRESSIS 7 Shee tS-Sheet 6 Filed Jan. 4, 1939 M .W, s R7 ,AM 04 F m ,0 w: n m A x M, v M6,

April 2; 1940. I J. E. MEYER V 2,195,822

S'OLDING IEGHANISN FOR PRINTING PRESSIS I Filed Jan. 4, 1939 Sheets-Sheet 7 I @120.

. INVENTOR M A HORNE utilized and to'illustrators who do not wish to be Patented Apr. 2, 1940 FOLDING mzcnmsm non ramrrmc mass Joseph E.'Meyer, Westerly, R. 1., asslgnor to C. B. Oottrell & Sons Company, Westerly, R. 1., a corporation of Delaware Application January 4, 1939, Serial No. 249,255

' 10 Claims. 101. 270- In multicolor presses for. printing on traveling webs where sheets with so called bleed pages are to be cut from the web, folded, and, deliveredin various sized products, it has been often desirable to have bleed pages of different color efiects occupy predetermined positions in the final product; as, for instance, two bleed pages facing each other. I The term bleed page? as now commonly used in the printing art means a page on which some or all of the printed matter extends entirely to one or more edges of the pageQtherby eliminating the usual unprinted margin or margins at that orthose portions of the'page. r To locate the bleed page printing plates on the form cylinders of the multicolor printing press in positions adjoining each other either longitudinally or circumferentially of the cylinders is unsatisfactory and does not permit room' for ink fountain partitions nor room for the vibratory rolls of the inking mechanism to work up the inks for the bleed page printing plates.

For example, if bleed plates were arranged adjoining each other the reciprocation of the distributing rolls of the inking mechanisms for the respective form cylinders would transfer some ink from each of the fountains or divisions thereof to each plate on the cylinder. This would result in a surplus of ink on the plate edges and if the inks were of different colors the disastrous effect on the printed matter would be obvious.

The printing of these bleed pages permits the matching of two, opposite bleed pages, each carrying a part of the printed subject'because the ;two impressions are not separated to any considerable degree by unprinted margin. This continuous printed impression is particularly desirable to advertisers who wish the entire page limited to one page in their illustration.

My invention consists in a folder which will produce the greatest number bleed page coma; further facilitate the bleed page combinations.

. the travelof any of the narrow webs to change 5 looking in the direction of the arrows with cer- 3 narrow webs only will bear bleed pages.

PATENT OFFIQE tions, as for instance two bleed pages facing each other in the final product.

.An important feature of my invention is the provision of means for lengthening or shortening the page combinations in the final product.

.A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which my improved folder is arranged to handle five narrow webs slit from a previously printed 10 wide traveling web; means, being provided for variously associating the narrow webs, cutting the so-associated narrow webs into two page length signatures of different sizes, folding said signatures and delivering them in various sized I products to selected deliveries of the packer and I traveling endless delivery types. To more fully understand my invention I have also shown one of the form cylinders of a multicolor printing press with a spaced arrangement of the bleed a; page plates thereon. v

Fig. 1 represents a diagrammatic'vertical section taken in the plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 2,

tain of the guide rollers omitted.

Fig'. 2 represents an end view of the same with the guide rollers for the alternate paths of one of the narrow webs omitted.

Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal vertical section taken in the plane of the line IIiZ-III of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 represents a diagrammatic vertical sec- ,tion taken in the plane of the line IV-IV of Fig.

5, looldng in the direction of the arrows, when the products are delivered to the packers only. Fig. 5 represents an end view of the same with the guide rollers for the alternate paths of one of the narrow webs omitted.

Fig. 6 represents in side elevation one of the form cylinders of a multicolor printing press,- the product of which is handled by the folder, the bleed page printing plates being shown spaced from one another both circumferentially and longitudinally on the cylinder, sb that alternate Fig. 7 represents a development of the surface ,of the said cylinder'to show-more clearly the relative positions of the several bleed page printing plates v Fig. 8 represents in side elevation the form cylinder shown in Figs. 6 and 7 with an increased number of bleed page plates arranged in stag-' gered relationship as well as spaced both 19 8 tuv dinally and circumferentially on the cylinder, so

that all the narrow webs will bear bleed pages.

Fig. 9 represents a development of the surface of the said form cylinder to show more clearly the relative positions of the several bleed page printing plates.

Fig. 10 represents a face view of a fragment of the traveling web as printed bythe plate cylinder shown in Fig. 6, the bleed pages being spaced both laterally and longitudinally on the web but not in staggered order.

Fig. 11 represents a face view of a fragment of the traveling web as printed by the plate cylinder shown in Fig. 8, the bleed pages being spaced both laterally and longitudinally on the web in staggered order.

Fig. 12 represents a diagrammatic side elevation on a reduced scale of a multicolor printing press including five form cylinders in each printing unit.

The impression cylinders are denoted herein by 92, 92 and their respective form cylinders which are arranged to coact therewith in the usual manner are denoted by 84.

After the printing operation in which the wide web A is printed with bleed pages, of one or more colors, spaced laterally and longitudinally, the web, which is herein shown as five pages wide, is engaged by rollers I, 2 on its way to the slitting mechanism 3 where it is divided longitudinally into five narrow webs B, C, D, E, F. These narrow webs are engaged by the roller 4 and from thence, according to the final relative positions of the narrow webs, they are passed in different selected paths around certain of the turning bars to II inclusive, and certain of the guide rolls l2 to 65 inclusive, to the coacting narrow web associating rollers 66, 61. From thence the associated narrow webs pass to the coacting cutting and folding cylinders 68, 69, where the narrow webs are cut into two page lengths by one of the pairs of coacting cutting blocks and knives 10, 1|.

The groups of sheets are then folded onto the cylinder 69 by one of the pairs of coacting tucking blades 12 and folding jaws 13.

The folded various sized products to be delivered to the selected delivery or deliveries at one end of the folder are taken from the folding jaws "of the cutting and folding cylinder 69 by the proper set of grippers 14 on the delivery cylinder 15. The folded sheets of various sized products to be delivered to the selected delivery or deliveries at the other end of the folder are taken from the folding jaws 13 on the cutting and folding cylinder 69 by the grippers 16 on the transfer cylinder 11 and transferred thereby to the grippers 18 on the delivery cylinder 19.

These cylinders 15, 11'; 19 rotate at a slower surface speed than the cylinders 68, 69, to permit the accurate delivery of the various sized products to their selected deliveries. h

In the present instance I have shown the cylinder 68 as provided with two equally spaced cutting blocks and two equally spaced tucking blades 12, and the cylinder 69 as.provided with four equally spaced cutting knives 1| and four equally spaced folding jaws 13; the cylinder 69 being twice the diameter of the cylinder 68.

The deliveries are herein shown as a double packer and a single endless carrier, arranged side by side across the folder at 'each end thereof, the double packer deliveries being denoted by 80, 8| and the traveling endless carriers by 82, 83.

The form cylinder, which may be one of a number of form cylinders of a multicolor printing press, is denoted by 84 and the bleed page printing plates, which are spaced apart both longitudinally and circumferentially, are denoted by 86, 86, 81. In the present instance, the bleed page plates 85 print upon the portion of the wide web A which afterwards becomes the middle narrow web B. The bleed page plates 86 print upon the 'portion of the wide web A which afterwards becomes the narrow web C and the bleed page plates 81 print upon the portion of the wide web A which afterwards becomes the narrow web E. In this arrangement alternate narrow webs bear bleed pages of one or more colors, which bleed pages in this instance have their printed matter extending entirely to all four edges of the page in the final product.

The bleed pages printed by the bleed page plates 85, 86, 81 on the traveling web are denoted by 85, 86' and 81* respectively. In Figs. 8 and 9 additional bleed page plates 88, 88 are provided on the form cylinder to produce a stag ered relationship of the bleed page plates while still maintaining their spaced relationship both longitudinally and circumferentially of the cylinder. Therefore, these bleed page plates 88, 89 are arranged to print on the portions of the wide web which afterwards becomes the narrow webs D, F, respectively; the bleed pages being denoted by 88' and 89. all of the narrow webs bear bleed pages of one or more colors, which bleed pages in this instance also havetheir printed matter extending entirely to all four edges of the pages in the final product.

In Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 the non-bleed page plates are denoted by 90, 9|, 92, 93 and 94; the dotted lines on these plates indicating the division between the printing surfaces of the plates and the non-printing margins of the plates.

It will be noted that the web guide rollers I1, I1'-22, 2328, 2935, 31-42, 4348, 49-51, 586l 62 and 64, 65 for the several narrow webs are compensator rollers which rollers may be swung to change, i. e., lengthen or shorten. the travel of the several narrow webs so as to bring any two of their bleed pages into facing relationship with each other in the final product, irrespectiveof the location of the bleed page printing plates on the form cylinders. In other words, the relation of the cut and the fold may be changed with respect to the position of the bleed page plates on the form cylinders to accomplish the result desired in the final product.

It will-be seen that in the arrangement shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the narrow webs B, C and E with their bleed pages may be passed through different desired paths to bring them into predetermined positions with respect to one another as, for instance, two of the bleed pages facing each other in the final products. In Fig. l, I have shown in full lines the narrow web B on which the bleed plates 85 have printed. as passing from the roller I6 to be guided by the rollers I 1, l8 for occupying a position in the middle of the associated webs. I have also shown in dotted lines the narrow web B as passing to the right in Fig. 1 from the roller Hi to be guided by the rollers 25 to inclusive, for occupying an ex. terior position on one side of the associated narrow webs, and as passing from the roller [6 to the left in Fig. l to be guided by the rollers I! to 24 inclusive, for occupying an exterioi position on the opposite side of the said associated narrow webs.

By reversing the position of the turning bar 5, the narrow web B is shown in Fig. 1 in dot and dash lines as being led to the roller 18 and from In this arrangement bring their bleed pages into different selected? positions in the final products.

Further combinations may be made by reversing one or more of the other turning bars as indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 1, and the v use of the additional rollers 90 and 9| adjacent the turning bars I0 and H.

In Fig. 1, the narrow web C turning bar It to be engaged by the rollers 60, 6!, 62, 39 on its wayto the associating rollers 66, 61, in line with the endless delivery carriers 82, 83; while in Fig.4, the web C leads from the turning bar 6 to be engaged by the rollers 3| to 39 inclusive, on its way to the associating rollers 66, 61in line'with the packer deliveries Bil and 8|.

Also, in Fig. 1, the narrow web E. is shown as leading from the turning bar II to be engaged by the rollers 63, 64, 65, 53 on its way to the associating rollers 66, 61, in line with the endless delivery carriers 82, 83; while in Fig. 4, the web E is shown as leading from the turning bar I to be engaged by the rollers 45 to 53 inclusive, on its way to the associating rollers 66, 61 in line with the packer deliveries 80, 8|.

In practice, it is intended that the heavy and light products should be delivered in opposite directions side by side to the packers and the traveling endless carriers respectively, or, if they are all heavy products, to the packers only, or, if they are all light products, to the endless carriers only.

The parts shown and described herein are shown and described in my copending method application 249,256 and in part in my copending means application 249,257, both of which applications were filed of even date herewith.

It is evident that various changes may ment of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but what I claim is:

1. Means for printing bleed pages of one or more colors on laterally and longitudinally spaced portions of a traveling wide web, means for slitting the wide web into narrow webs, means for associating the narrow webs to bring the bleed pages in predetermined positions in the final product, and sheet cutting, folding and delivery elements.

2. Means for printing bleed pages of one or more colors on laterallya'nd longitudinally spaced portions of a traveling wide web, means for slitting. the wideweb into narrow webs, means for associating the narrow webs to bring two bleed pages facing each other in the final product, and sheet cutting, folding and delivery elements.

3. Means for printing bleed pages of one or more colors in staggered order on laterally and leads from the be resorted to in the construction, form and arrange-' longitudinally spaced portions of a traveling'wide web, means for slitting the wide web into narrow webs, means for associating the narrow webs to bring the bleed pages in predetermined positions in the final product, and sheet cutting, folding and delivery elements.

4. Means for printing bleed pages of one or more colors in staggered order on laterally and longitudinally spaced portions of a traveling wide web, means for slitting the wide web into narrow webs, means for associating the narrow webs to bring two bleed pages facing each other in the final product, and sheet cutting, folding and delivery elements.

5. Means for printing bleed pages of one or more colors on laterally and longitudinally spaced portions of a traveling wide web, means for slit-. ting the wide web into narrow webs, certain of the narrow webs bearing the bleed pages, means for associating the narrow webs to bring the bleed pages in predetermined positions in the final product, and sheet cutting, folding and delivery elements.

'6. Means for printing bleed pages of one or more colors on laterally and longitudinally spaced portions of a, traveling wide web, means, for slitting the wide web into narrow webs, certain of the narrow webs bearing the bleed pages, means for associating the narrow webs to bring two bleed pages facing each other in the final product, and sheet cutting, folding and delivery elements.

7. Means for printing bleed pages of one or more colors on laterally and longitudinally spaced portions of a traveling wide web, means for slitting the wide web into narrow webs, all of which bear bleed pages, means for associating the narrow webs to bring the bleed pages in predetermined positions in the final product, and sheet cutting, folding and delivery elements.

8. Means for printing bleed pages of one or more colors on'laterally and longitudinally spaced portions of a traveling wide web, means for slitting the wide web into narrow webs, all of which bear bleed pages, means for associating the nar- 9. Means for printing bleed pages of one or' more colors on laterally and longitudinally spaced portions of a traveling wide web, means for slitting the wide web into narrow webs, alternate narrow webs bearing the bleed pages, means for associating the narrow webs to bring the bleed pages in predetermined positions in the final product, and sheet cutting, folding and delivery elements. l :.i 10. Means for printing bleed pages of one or more colors on laterally and longitudinally spaced portions of a traveling wide web, means for slitting the wide web into narrow webs, alternate narrow webs bearing the bleed pages, meansfor associating the narrow webs to bring two bleed pages facing each other in the final product, and sheet cutting, foldingand delivery elements.

JOSEPH E. 

